Every bank at that time had way too many non-performing assets on its books.

Hi BiggerPockets Community,I’m Josh, 26 years old, current project manager and aspiring asset manager diving into a new venture that I’m excited to share.

if you had a particular asset of real estate you were interested in I'm sure you'd be able to find a broker in need of help in one of those. 

You can always use a software like Turbo-Tax and follow the prompts.

Do you need cash flow from it for income or will light to no cash flow work if you can groundswell appreciation on a good asset?

With the exception of some small markets in the Southeast, places like Cleveland are the only major metro areas where a regular investor can find cash-flowing assets with a mix of appreciation. 

Fact is, I had some assets but not enough money to invest from a position of strength.

The high end is the 20 or so co ops on 5th Avenue or Park Ave (one is on East End Avenue) that require liquid assets of $100 million + to gain board approval.  

If this isn't required, then most likely having the GC sign a completion guarantee to ensure the project gets finished and lender is not stuck with a partially complete asset is the case. 

As far as some other comments about like kind etc, you can sell this SFR and then buy a warehouse, or vacant land or even exchange into a DST there are many other assets that are considered 'like kind'.